Armed invaders have reportedly killed two soldiers and 15 villagers in three communities in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.
Locals said that the attacks happened simultaneously at about 6 pm on Tuesday in Opaha, Odogbo, and Edikwu communities in Apa LGA.
According to Daily Trust, a local simply identified as Kole, said 17 bodies including two soldiers of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) were recovered from nearby bushes in the early hours of Wednesday after security operatives combed the area.
The local added that one of the deceased soldiers was the unit commander, who confronted the armed invaders to repel the attackers from the communities while under siege.
Chairman of Apa Development Association, Barrister Eche Akpoko, confirmed that there was an attack on the community on Tuesday night.
Akpoko said 10 dead bodies including two soldiers were already recovered but that he was yet to get an update as at 10:30am.
The State Commissioner for Finance, David Olofu, who hails from Opaha, one of the affected villages, told journalists in Makurdi, that the bodies of 15 villagers and two soldiers were recovered on Wednesday morning.
Olofu said he was on his way to the village to assess the situation at the time of this report.
The Daily Trust reported that the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Catherine Anene, when contacted via the telephone said that she was not yet aware of the incident.
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